


Came Back Haunted

by JessKo



Series: JessKo’s Spooktober 2019 [7]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Canon-Typical Violence, Cold Weather, Crash Landing, Gen, Survival
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-26
Updated: 2019-10-29
Packaged: 2021-01-03 10:28:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21177923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JessKo/pseuds/JessKo
Summary: Crash landed on an icy planet, the four imperials have to learn to work together if they wish to survive.A narrative following the Peter's Pumpkin Week prompts on Tumblr.





	1. What are you afraid of?

**Author's Note:**

> Day 1 prompt: “What are you afraid of?” -Van Helsing

Orson Krennic shivered, glaring at the wreckage in front of them. 

Galen Erso frowned, shuffling his feet and looking nowhere in particular. 

Brierly Ronan huffed, glancing at the wreckage behind them. 

Wilhuff Tarkin simply stared out at the icy horizon, assessing their frozen surroundings. 

“I suggest we move this way.” Tarkin finally stated, pointing towards a valley between two of the tens of mountains seeming to cage the group in. “We have already salvaged everything we could from the shuttle.” 

Erso nodded in agreement, taking a tentative step in the identified direction. 

“Wait just a minute.” Krennic started, raising a gloved and shaking finger. “We don’t know what’s out there. I vote that we make shelter here.” 

Ronan seemed to prefer this option, turning back to face the mangled Lambda. 

Tarkin stood his ground firmly. “There is nothing left for us here. We need to move.” 

Krennic’s lips twisted up into a sort of wicked smile. “What? Are you afraid of something?” Cupping his hands around his mouth, the director shouted into a strong and snowy wind. “Hello! Anyone out here looking to eat a fresh Governor? He’ll come right to your den door!” 

Tarkin exercised much self control at not blasting the insolent director on the spot. “It sounds like you are the one who is afraid, Director. I simply have noticed irregular patterns in the snowfall and believe that camping in the lowest ground will put us in the path of an inevitable avalanche.” 

Ronan froze from his tinkering with the frozen ajar shuttle hatch, then looking up at the mountains for confirmation of Tarkin’s observation. It was pointless, he soon realized, it all looked white and cold to him. Coming from a more temperate planet, ice was not exactly his specialty. 

Erso, on the other hand, backed the governor’s statement. “I believe Governor Tarkin is correct, the rock formations and slope of the mountains would lend themselves to such conditions.” The cold slipped into his words, giving a stutter to his speech. The group had been able to salvage some outerwear from the emergency supplies on the shuttle, thick hooded coats and goggles to go on top of already decently insulated gaberwool tunics, but in near blizzard conditions it was still freezing. 

Realizing he had lost, Krennic exhaled sharply and wrapped himself up in the cape that has just been blown behind him, white whipping out with the arctic gale. “Very well. Lead the way.” 

With that settled, the group set out, using the last few hours of daylight the frosty planet gave them to make some progress. Ever the social animal, Ronan first tried to make conversation with Krennic, but only earned himself a hard stare from icy blue eyes. Quickening his pace, he caught up to Erso, willing to do anything but hike in miserable silence. 

“You mentioned the rock formations, what did you mean by that?” He tried, hoping to peak the scientist’s interest. Instantly, the shorter man perked up, launching into an in-depth explanation that Ronan decidedly interrupted several times to add his own artistic thoughts to the matter. 

The hours did not necessary pass quickly, but the slog felt slightly less impossible and as the sun's last rays stretched across the tundra, Tarkin stopped at the foot of a mountain. 

“Erso. Which way would we be more likely find a sort of shelter or crevice in the stone?” 

Catching up to the group’s leader, Erso took a moment to more closely study grey slate. “I believe… That way.” He finally decided, pointing to the left. Tarkin nodded, trusting Erso’s judgement. 

Beginning the turn, the group stopped when a new voice called out over the winds. 

“You go that way and you die.” It said in an unamused, almost mechanical tone. 

Four sets of eyes whipped around to find the source to be two glowing blue orbs, mechanical eyes attached to a nearly humanoid body. Wearing simple white robes that nearly blended in with the surroundings, the being lowered a hood and scarf. Their face was shaped like a humans, but made entirely of metal, like a more advanced and articulated protocol droid. “I am Z4N3, and you will come with me if you want to live.” 

Krennic opened his mouth to protest. “I believe that we have the situation entirely under control, thank you.” Looking over to Erso, he asked. “You are certain that we will find shelter in that direction, yes?” 

Erso hesitated. “Yes, well… One never knows what might be living in those shelters.”

“Smart one.” The being, Z4N3, replied. “I can not hurt you, my protocol forbids it. But the monsters can.” 

“I think we ought to follow the… android?” Ronan offered, hesitant to call such a lifelike machination the same thing as an astromech or MSE. 

Considering their options, Tarkin took a step towards the android. “What guarantee can you make of that claim?” 

A wild roar sounded from behind them, a great lumbering beast’s outline barely made out against the snow storm. 

“It is too late.” Z4N3 said more quietly. “Allow me to protect you against the monster, and then we will speak of trust.” 

“By all means.” Orson called out, stepping out of the direct path between the android and what was approaching. Ronan stepped in line behind the Director, breaths stuttering from fear. 

“W-what is that?” He yelped, pressing his back against the steep side of the mountain. 

“We will know soon enough.” Erso muttered, joining the group. 

Tarkin, however, drew his blaster. “I will fight alongside you, and stake fair claim to the fruits of the hunt.” 

Sliding a pair golden daggers from leg holsters, Z4N3 simply nodded, servos whirring in anticipation of an intense fight to come. A puff of hot steam escaping from his mouth, he took a defensive stance in front of the Governor. “You are brave. We hunt with honor in your presence.” 

The creature coming into view, the time for talk is over.

Now, it was time for action. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 2 prompt: “You’re free at the moment, aren’t you” Sherlock Holmes

“Wampa…” Ronan said under his breath. Krennic shot him a questioning glance. “It’s a wampa.” 

Sure enough, the white, horned beast came into view, uncomfortably close as neither man had charged the creature, allowing it to approach them. 

Tarkin fired a single bolt, landing in thick fur on the beast’s shoulder and only serving to enrage the creature. With a powerful bellow, the Wampa reared back, and Z4N3 took the opening, darting between hairy legs to deliver two long cuts to the inner thigh. The wampa twisted around with a cry to strike, but Z4N3 was already skirting around the outside, leaping up to bury the two golden blades into the wampa’s shoulders. 

“The shot is yours!” The android shouted over the wind, using his weight to swing the injured wampa so its front faced Tarkin and protected himself from any blaster fire. 

Tarkin kept his blaster raised, but his trigger finger hardly quivered. 

“Take the damn shot, Wilhuff!” Orson yelped in a tone that mixed annoyance with fear. 

Z4N3 wrestled to keep the wampa in position, blades not quite long enough to penetrate thick hide down to anything vital. Regaining its bearings, the wampa reached behind himself, ripping the intruder off its back and throwing it into the mountainside. With the wampa lumbering after them, Z4N3 shuddered against the snow, trying to roll out of the way of a powerful swipe. The sick crunch of snapping metal was barely audible over the sound of the blizzard. 

“He’s letting it die.” Erso muttered, looking away from the brutal mauling. 

Making a quick choice, Krennic pulled his own blaster from its holster, the delicate wood grain singed from the crash. From behind Tarkin, he loosed a valley of shots, the wampa roaring as it fell into the snow on top of the android. “Are you trying to get us all killed?” Krennic screamed, shoving Tarkin.

Standing his ground, the Grand Moff nodded his chin towards the Wampa. “No, but you are.” 

Slowly, the Wampa raised to all fours, ugly head turning to growl at the gathered Imperials. 

Taking a step back, Krennic swore. The wampa crawled forward, leaving the twitching and sparking body of Z4N3 behind. 

Despite the beast coming closer and closer, Tarkin did not shoot, biding his time. He knew that to shoot would be to provoke the creature to break out into a run. 

He could practically smell the rancid breath of the wampa, coming in hot steaming pants. 

Erso squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting to see blood. But it never came. The wampa reared back, the wounds on its back peeled open by a rebooted Z4N3, one blade held in a hand and the other jammed into a broken arm, electricity traveling along the metal to shock the creature. 

Now, Tarkin shot the wampa at point blank, a single bolt going through its eye socket to singe its brain, killing it instantly. 

It feel backwards, Z4N3 jumping off just in time, rolling in the snow before getting back on their feet. Walking back to the group, the android had a distinct limp, and a frown directed at Tarkin. “I thought you said you wanted to join the fight?” 

“I must have overestimated your abilities.” Tarkin responded, earning a frustrated puff of steam from the android. 

After an uncomfortable silence, Z4N3 stated simply. “I will carve up the wampa and we will carry what we can. You may follow me to my shelter if you like. Otherwise I wish you luck.” 

Turning to the body, Z4N3 used their blades to divide the wampa into large pieces, salvaging the hide in one long piece that he offered to Krennic. “I only require the fat. I am able to use it as a power source.” They stated after dividing up the meat among the other imperials. 

“I will be following the droid.” Krennic stated simply, and Ronan slid in aside the director. Tarkin hesitated, looking over the land again, measuring his options. Erso lingered with him, but kept looking towards the others. Silently, Tarkin took a step in that direction and Erso released a breath he did not know he had been keeping. 

“Can we trust it?” Erso asked quietly, tucking his hands in his coat pockets. He noticed that Tarkin did not holster his blaster, carrying his share of the creature on one shoulder. The blocks of meat already losing their warmth and beginning to freeze. 

“I do not know.” Tarkin finally stated. “But I am prepared to counter it.” 

Suddenly it all made sense to Erso. Tarkin had not hesitated, he had allowed a potential adversary to weaken itself. However, if the android was in fact an ally, they could have just condemned themselves to death by weakening defenses. It was a risky gamble, but Erso trusted the Governor’s judgement. Only time would tell now. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 4 Prompt: “Do come in… any time. I’m always open.” The Proprietor

Krennic was the first one to slip into the cave, the entrance a narrow crack giving way to a rather grand interior with high ceilings. At the center of it all was a steaming crater full of sulfurous mud. The stench was strong, but the allure of a heat source was stronger and soon all four humans stood around the crater, laying the spoils of the hunt to the side, not caring about the frozen blood encrusting their outerwear. In fact, Krennic only wrapped the untreated hide around himself tighter, creating a second layer of cape. 

“You do have intentions of sharing the furs.” Tarkin stated more than asked in the director’s direction. 

Krennic bristled, burying himself deeper in the mottled white and pink layer. “Of course.” He muttered. “Later.” Ronan moved himself closer to the director as if to leech off any body heat radiating off of the furs. 

“So do you have any method to… Cook this?” Erso asked after an uncomfortable silence, directing the question to Z4N3 who was hunched over themselves, delicately extracting the blade from their forearm. 

“Patience…” The android more hummed than said. “I will have to retrieve my hand before the snow becomes heavy.” 

“You are telling us that this blizzard is not heavy?” Ronan barked. 

The android did not move its focus from its arm. “Correct. Today had exceptionally good weather so I went to farm more materials. It is purely luck that the wampa I was tracking was attracted to your lot.” 

“Oh so we are bait now. Wonderful.” Ronan grumbled. 

“For someone who survives on their resources, you are not very effective at killing such beasts.” Krennic snapped. 

Z4N3 looked up now, electric blue photoreceptors locking onto Krennic’s features. “Normally I would kill it in such a way that only the fat remains. I decided to abstain so that you organics would not starve.” 

Finally extracting the blade, Z4N3 holstered it alongside the other and moved to the entrance of the cave. “I advise you to stay put.” And then he was gone, back out into the harsh weather. 

The crater was better than nothing, but there was still a frigid chill to the place and after so much hiking, the imperials were feeling fatigue set in. 

“I will take first watch.” Tarkin announced, taking a few steps closer to the entrance of the cave. “You may rest.” 

Without comment, the others agreed and settled in, sitting up against the warm sides of the crater. The next time Tarkin afforded the others a glance, he found all three leaning against each other, just fitting underneath the expanse of white fur that Krennic had hoarded. He allowed himself a short exhale, not a laugh but a physical sign of amusement at the display. Desperate times, he reminded himself. 

Some hours later, when Z4N3 returned, he greeted Tarkin with a blunt, “You still do not trust me.” 

Tarkin did not try and dispute the comment. 

“It is probably because you do not know my purpose.” Z4N3 continued, shaking frost from his plain clothes. Squatting down, he placed a mangled metal hand on the ground near the crater, frozen solid and encased in ice. It would need to defrost, Tarkin mused, before it could be reattached. The android would remain weakened for some time longer. 

“Your purpose?” Tarkin asked when the android offered nothing further. 

“My creator is from a species that has no home, their land of origin stolen from them by a stronger race. So, I was made to locate a new home for them, able to assess systems much quicker than an organic could.” Z4N3 paused, almost wistfully. “However, I was too late. It took me many months to find a planet that was both habitable and free. And when I returned, they were dead. All of them.” 

Tarkin did not interrupt. 

“This was the last planet inputted to my system, so I believe my creator intended for me to stay here.” 

“Seems like a wasteland to me.” Krennic butted in, apparently he had been listening in. 

“Perhaps to you. I see it as untouched, pristine life. And I defend this life.”

“I am inclined to believe, then, that it was more than just coincidence that brought us together.” Tarkin stated. 

“The hunt selected would have lead me to the crash site, yes. It was the most efficient method.” 

Tarkin wondered then if Z4N3 intended to punish them in some way for ‘crashing’ into his territory. However, the android would have dispensed of them by now if that punishment was to die. 

As if reading the human’s thoughts, Z4N3 continued. “You are intruders, but you are also much like my creator and for that I will allow you safe passage back onto your path.” 

This did little to put Tarkin at ease, but he would accept it. Noticing the ice on the arm begin to melt, he slid down on the opposite side of the crater, allowing himself a short rest cycle while he could get it as Z4N3 went about curing the fat in a way the android could use it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, I hate to leave this story here but I do not forsee myself finishing it. I hope you have enjoyed the ride so far, and thank you for reading <3


End file.
